


Chasing Dreams

by Vivenna



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Darkness, Dreams and Nightmares, Fluff, Friendship, Heartless Attacks (Kingdom Hearts), Keyblade Wielders (Kingdom Hearts), M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post Remind!, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Remind Spoiler!, Romance, Secrets, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Violence, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22513960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivenna/pseuds/Vivenna
Summary: Sora still remains lost and Riku tries searching him in his dreams to find Sora and bring him back home.Post Remind Story because i can´t wait until the new Game lol.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 25





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> After I saw the Remind DLC i was so...confused and frustrated about the cliffhanger ending, so i decided to write down my own theories.  
> So this will be a long road, because i try to put some things from KH III and the DLC together...And because i love slow burn romances haha XD 
> 
> Comments, kudos and critique are appreciate since english is not my native language x3

I´ve been having those weird thoughts lately…  
...like, is any of this for real, or not?…

Echoing those words, he managed to slowly open his eyes. His body was lying heavily on the ground while the rain keeps dropping on his pale skin. He felt the water beneath him, glimmering lights on the side of the corner of his eye. He knew this place without actually take a look around. Every Night he´s been waking up at this point without any clue why his heart took him here.  
„Again? Why?“He quietly mumbled to himself as he sat of. He sat in the middle of a giant crosswalk, but he was all alone. Like in his dreams before, nobody except him, was there.  
It was night and the lanterns, flanking the wide street, shined smoothly. Yozora slowly stood up, his eyes run over the deserted streets.  
„ Hello?“He finally asked against the oppressive silence around him, but an answer remain unreceived. 

„ geezh...Thats quite a pain in the arse.“He grumbling rolled his eyes as he set his legs in motion to follow one of the streets.  
The buildings left and right of his gaze were very similar to the one of his own world, but he knew that this was only a dream. The structure was fading once he past it. Every night he´d been waking up here he used to figure out the meaning of this. He straggled through the streets, on the bottom and sure on the top of the buildings. Yet without seeing anything that would had helped him, but today he felt an oddly sensation in his guts and suddenly stopped his motion. Standing alone in the middle of the rooftop from the highest building, he slowly turned his head.  
Yozora frowned as he saw the darkness, which seems to came from nothing. Automatically he summoned his blade and raised it against the growing shadows, his whole body was in tension and his mind ready to defense himself.  
The darkness in front of his eyes formed itself to a circle, than after a few heartbeats a strange person in a black coat stepped out of it. 

„ Who are you!?“Yozora shouted, pointing his blade on the stranger.  
„ Are you behind this mess!?“  
The stranger took his time to answer, eventually he started to chuckle.  
„ What´s so funny?!“Yozora felt his growing anger.  
„ It´s just that I didn´t expected you look exactly like him...Funny...“The stranger tilted his head and crossed his arms before his chest.  
The rifled blade in front of him didn´t seemed to bother him. Yozora was confused and frowned still more. „ What do you mean?“he asked sharply.  
Instead of answering the question, the stranger stepped closer. Yozora raised his blade immediately. „ Answer me! What do you mean!?“  
„ I know what are you searching for...And as far as I can tell, you wouldn´t find it – here-.“ 

„ What?“  
Again the stranger chuckled. It was a dark and cold sound that came from his lips.  
„To find the person you are searching for, you first have to find somebody else.“  
Yozoras eyes flinched. He felt his own heartbeat raising. Was the stranger speaking the truth? He never saw somebody in his dreams and now there suddenly was this guy who had an answer for years of searching?  
His grip on his blade tightened, unsure whether he can trust this strange guy or not.  
„ I didn´t expect you immediate would believe me, but keep this in your mind...“the coated guy proceed as yozora didn´t answer him.  
„ ...You have to save a boy named Sora.“  
„Sora?“ Yozora slowly lowered his blade now starring at the guy in front of him. This name rings a bell and he suddenly felt a thick knot in his stomach.  
The stranger nodded. „ He´s the key to all your questions. You have to find him first, but once you reached your goal, the journey will just begin.“  
„ Sora...Where can I find him?“  
„ He´s trapped among the worlds, beyond light and darkness. His body is fading away.  
You don´t have much time left“  
Although yozora couldn´t see the Face of the guy, he was sure, that he was evil grinning. His voice lowered. „ You have to go to him and just ...wake him up“ he sniggered.  
„ That sounds to easy to me“ Yozora snapped back with increasing distrust.  
„ Lucky for me it is...but for you..“ The stranger sounds regretful as he too summoned his weapon.  
Yozora strained and enlarged the distance between them with a quick jump backwards. Again he raised his blade. „ Whats the meaning?!“  
„ You have to go to another world and left behind whats keeping you here.“  
„ Means?“  
„ Oh don´t be afraid i´ll be gentle and your little heart will make it back once you find Sora.“  
And with a grin on the corner of his mouth he rushed up to Yozora… 

The next Yozora remembered was the burning pain he felt all over his body. His arms and legs were heavy so he couldn´t move them in the first place. Every breath he take was beastly hard like his chest don´t want to pushed in this painful movement. Sweat dribbed from his temples. The previous events rushed through his mind. The fight was really tough and the stranger an worthy opponent. Unfortunately he lost...And Yozora never lost a battle before and he already knew that he would take revenge at this coated guy. He tried a deep breath and flinched as the pain flashed through his body. “ So much pain for just one guy?” he mumbled under his breath and managed to open his eyes. 

At first, he thoughts to be in his dream again, on the crosswalk in the middle of the street as he saw the dark clouds above him. But there were no skyscrapers, no laterns. Yozora gasp while he based his weight on his lower arm. This wasn´t his dream, not at all. He´d never been here before. This was the first time he saw...this dark world. The ground beneath him was full of water that dripped by every movement he made. He could feel a soft but cold wind on his skin and only see the dark clouds and shimmering stars all around him. Maybe the guy really didn´t lie to him. He was alive and felt the pain in his body slowly vanishing. 

“ Sora..” That was the boys name, but why? Why in a place like this and how could this boy helped him in his own world?  
There was no other way but to try. He bits on his inner cheeks, swallowing the ache in his ribs and stood up. There was no street to follow so he decided to just walk straight ahead. 

For a long time, nothing happened. Yozora couldn´t tell how far he´d been walking, but it must be for hours and hours till he heard a noise in the distance. He suddenly stopped and listened vigilantly.  
“Hellooo!” The voice yelled. So there really was someone. Maybe the guy the coated stranger talked about.  
“Hey.” Yozora answered him, suddenly aware the other person could hear him clear, could he?  
Yozora stepped forward. “ Hey!” he called a little bit louder as the stranger didn´t answered him directly.  
“Where are you?” 

“Over here !” this time, the answer came quick, straight ahead of him. Yozora kept walking on and a moment after he saw a shadow running towards him. He slowed his footsteps as he recognized the boy in front of him.  
“Hey, aren´t you..?” The boy began wondering and yozora raised an eyebrow.  
“You know me?” He sounds as confuse as he felt.  
“Yeah, You´re Yozora, right?”  
Yozora...That sure was his Name, but not in his real world. Only in his dreams he named himself Yozora, but he didn´t remember telling anybody his name before.  
“How do you know that? Who are you?”  
“I´m Sora.” The boy said cheerful. “And actually, there is something I have to ask you.”  
“Sora? You are Sora?” That was him? The boy he had to find? Yozora couldn´t believe that his eternal search finally had a start he could work with.  
“Hu? You know who I am?”  
Oh he knew…But he kept his answer simple.  
“Sure, I´ve heard of you.”  
“if you´re here, than this can´t be the real world, can it? But wait, that girl...She told me about you. Maybe you are real after all.”  
Girl? Yozora frowned a little about the things Sora told him. Sure he was real. This was a dream. Or a dream in a dream? He was really sure about sitting on the back seat of his car in a deep slumber, but again felt the thick knot in his stomach. Now matter what. He was here to find that boy and now he reached his goal there was no holding back.  
“Are you done?” he eventually snapped and than continued slowly.  
“No. This isn´t the real world, and I am here. But this isn´t what I really look like. How did you recognize me as Yozora?” He felt his anger increasing as he looked at the puppy blue eyes in front of him. The enlarged eyes and the Name so similar to…  
“Why are you using Soras Name?”  
“Because...I am Sora” The answer of the boy more sounded like a question.  
So than he really was the boy…  
“If you are who you say, and if the fate was brought us here...then my path is clear.” 

The stranger in the coat told him once he find Sora, the journey will just start. But it will lead him to answers… He just had to wake him up. And so he summoned his blade and gazed at the young boy in front of him, who appalls stumbled backward.  
“What?”  
Suddenly the ground beneath them changed. At first in glimmering light, than into a reddish platform. Yozora wondered a moment about the suddenly, without the assistance of him, appeared area but enjoined himself to caution. Than the setting changed again. He recognized the skyscrapers, the city from his dreams, but how could that boy summoned this place? Whas this for real? 

“ Hey! wait!”  
Yozora pointed his blade to the boy. This whole thing wasn´t working as he planed it long before, but now there was a new chance.  
“I accidentally wandered into this place...” He decide to explain a little. “..and went trough some trials...Than I was told to ´Save Sora` “  
“HU?! Than what´s with the weapon?!” Sora shouted back, but Yozoras mind was clear. The coated Stranger sent him to the dark world after defeating him, so this should be work the other way around….

“How could...”  
The last strike of his blade brought Sora down. The Boy panted in exhaustion as Yozora let his weapon vanished. This fight was tougher than the one against the coated guy.  
He almost didn´t made it, but now he slowly reached the guy on the ground. “Sorry. But I don´t loose” he said murmuring, seeing the floor under the boys hand had started to crystallize. The iced splinters scrambled over his body, until he was fully cased. Yozora lowered his eyelids. He put out his hand to gently touch Soras now frozen knee.  
That was also the meaning of – the journey will just start -. Now the Boy was saved from the Realm between Light and Darkness he was far apart from waking up so easily.  
Maybe he truly was the key he had been searching for so long. “I will save you...” he eventually whispered as the boy fades into sparkling blue light...


	2. chapter one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it´s up to Riku searching for his friend. Chasing his dreams? Nothing can keep him from finding Sora.

„ So you´re in the opinion that Sora can be found in...my dreams?“  
Riku asked towards the group in front of him. There were back in Yen Sid´s Tower, together with Merlin and the Fairy Godmother, who just told him about this possible solution of his search. The entire gang stood behind him. They haven´t wasted any time to came over for this news, clutching for every straw, after this long time searching for Sora. There all missed him. Especially Kairi who still felt guilty about his vanishing. She was the reason for him to go through the time, paying these high prize, all of them are feeling now. As annoying as Sora could be there was an empty space between them. Rikus gaze slid slowly over the other keyblade wielders. None of them found a clue. Their even searched in the realms of darkness, but Sora kept missing. Until...well, until the Fairy Godmother came up with her idea and now everybody lifted their faces against Riku, who suddenly felt a bit oddly. He sensed a soft blush appearing on his cheekbones. To be central was something he never could really deal with so he turned his attention back to the magicians, clearing his throat. Fairy godmother eventually nodded with a warm smile on her face.  
“Sure dear. Dreams are es strong as hearts. Dreams can lead you everywhere as long as you believe it.”  
“As long as I believe it…?” Riku repeated slowly, almost drifting away in thoughts as Mickey cheerfully jumped towards him.  
“Fairy Godmother is right Riku! We already went through dreams and it worked!”  
Sort of… They woke up sleeping worlds, but finding Sora in his dreams?  
“But how could that be my dream?” Riku regarded Yen sid and the others. 

“Sora and you used to be close friends since yours childhood.” Yen sid raised his voice. “You´ve been throw so many. Darkness and light as well. It´s obvious that your dreams might be the key to him.”  
“Once a dream is raised it can be strong enough to reach a heart, even when its lost. “Merlin explained.  
“But we searched for Sora for over a year.” Aqua lowered his eyelids as she remembered the sad feeling as they realized he might be gone forever.  
“Why now?” Was searching in dreams already a chance since the day he vanished?  
“It´s because my dream just began over a week ago” Riku conclude.  
A surprising “What??!!” cames from the entire group behind him, while Yen Sid, Merlin and the Fairy Godmother kept calm.  
“Why didn´t you tell us earlier!” Donald beefed, already rolling ob his sleeves to beat the next information directly out of him.  
He was stopped by Goofy who grabbed his friend before he reached Riku.  
“Gwarsh, Riku must have a good reason for not telling us. If he saw a chance to find Sora, he would never keep this as a secret!”  
“That´s right” Riku agreed and turned to the others. “The dream came up a week ago. I wake up in a city, a big city with huge buildings around me. It´s night, but the lanterns on the side of the streets illuminate the darkness a little. I´m in the middle of a crosswalk and searching for Sora. I kept shouting his name but without any respond. I start walking around and keep looking for him until I sense the feeling somebody is watching me. I lift my head and suddenly see a guy in a black coat at the top of the highest building. The stranger look down on me but before I get the chance to climb up to him I wake up.”  
“This definitely sounds weird. You dreamed this every night?” Lea asked from the corner of the office where he was lying with his back against the wall.  
Riku nodded. “Basically”

“This sounds like the organisation?” Donald asked the group, but Mickey shook his head. “It can´t be. We defeated Xehanort..He must be gone.”  
“Since this is your dream Riku.” Yen sid started, gaining everybody's attention. “A dream concludes wishes and fears alike. The guy in the coat might be a hint to find sora, although he looks like a former organization member to you”  
“That means there really is no organisation?” Mickey asked back.  
“probably not, but it surely would help to be careful, once you started diving into your dreams.”  
“And mine, right?” Kairis soft voice get quietly through the room.  
“Hu? “Lea raised an eyebrow. “You dreamed too?”  
“Yeah...But it´s more like a memory which come to my mind every night. It´s the day we all met in the Destiny Islands and where Sora and I sitting on the palm tree.” She remembered his last words, so cheering up only Sora could behave in this shiny way. ´ See? Everything is fine now!´ he said before vanishing. Kairi swallowed as she suddenly felt a thick and burning knot in her throat. She sensed the tears in her eye but wiped them off as Xion and Naminé gently cuddled her. “It´s not your fault Kairi, we told you!” Xion solaced 

“Sora does everything for his friends. If it wasn´t for you Kairi, he might be helped another friend, ending up in the same.” Mickey approached to Kari and finally the girl again smiled a bit. “That´s sounds quite like Sora”  
“Always the others before him. That´s really Sora. But that´s why it´s now our turn to find him. And if I can reach him in my dreams, I will!” Riku turned back towards the magicians.  
“Thats the spirit. “ Yen Sid mumbled with a light grin on the corner of his lips.  
“But who´s the other dreamer?” Again Aqua raised her voice. “You said there were three Dreams we have to follow, who´s the third?”  
Suddenly a pressing silence laid over the group. Their eyes were gazing among themselves. Besides Kairi and Riku, non of the other seems to dream of Sora.  
“ Gezh..Asking me~ I don´t believe is one of us.” Lea pointed his finger on everybody except Ventus, Roxas and Xion. “ I can easily imagine why Kairi and Riku are thinking of Sora but for the others Sora is just the little guy who simply saved our lives.”  
Riku couldn´t helped but noticed the strange undertone Lea was using, as he briefly gazed in his direction. He felt a strange feeling raising inside his stomach but it fades away as the conversation goes on.  
“Roxas Heart is connected to Sora, same goes for Xion and especially Ventus who´d been hidden in Sora heart his whole life.” Lea doesn´t mention it but he was a little proud as he finally understood the complicated connection between them.  
“Lea is right.” Terra nodded. “There must be a connection as strong as the bond Kairi, Riku and Sora are sharing.”  
“Even if we don´t dream until now?” Roxas looked to the others. Yen Sid gave a long and grumbeling ´Hummh´before he started to speak.  
“It´s possible that the dream goes clearer once you know how to focus on. When you keep on directly searching for Sora, maybe the dream will reveal itself.  
“Then i´ll try” Ventus made a step forward.  
“Ven..!”  
“Don´t worry Aqua. Sora kept my heart safe for so long. If he´s now somehow in mine too, I will search and find him.”  
Aqua smiled and finally slowly nodded. Riku smirked a little and than looked to Yen sid. “So now we are three. What happens next?” He wanted to know.  
“Fairy Godmother will set you in a deep slumber. You can take a companion with you, who acts as your dreameater.”  
“As hearts as well as darkness and light are explored, dreams are not. We´re not clearly sure how the realm of slumber is working, but there ancient scripts that sounds very similar to restore broken heart.”  
“Like Sora did for Kairi” Chirithy said.  
“Right. There might be pieces of him you three have to find and collect. Once you could find all of them there might be a chance of waking up is heart.”  
“How many pieces are you speaking of…?” Riku frowned and stiffened as Yen sid answered him: “We don´t know. You have to follow your heart. All of you have to..”  
Kairi as well as Ventus approached the giant wooden table. Before she looked insecure, but now there was a deep determination on her face. “I´ll do all my best to find him” she said. Riku and Ventus nodded approving.  
“Fine. Fairy Godmother, Merlin and I have to do some preparations. Get ready until we meet again in one hour.” 

So that also was the new way. Riku decided to use the remain hour for getting some air. His feeds lead him outside of the castle to the small park. Stars were glimmering in the dawn and the air was nice and warm. He followed the path until the very end of the island and sat down. Letting his legs swing in the air he lay down on the ground, closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.  
“Chasing my dreams mh?..” he quietly mumbled to himself after a moment.  
This all sounds odd although he knew there was a connection he felt to Sora. Riku cautiously touched his chest with his own hand. His heart thumbed in a steady and strong rhythm. “ You always loved to play hide and seek don´t you?” he whispered with a gentle grin. “Well i´m the one who will win this time...” he hoped. There was a feeling in his guts he knows so painful well. It was there over the whole last year and always when Sora kept fighting against the heartless and Xehanort. Anxiety. Anxiety about really loosing his friend and never getting the chance to see him again. Finding Sora in their dreams might be their very last chance. If he failed…  
Riku tightened his grip on his chest. He wouldn´t even think about it. The Solace in Kairis eyes, whenever she spoke to him was enough. Riku was always the leader everyone looks up to. He had to be strong…  
“Riku...”  
The young boy winced as he suddenly heard the voice behind him. He quickly rushed up to his arms, but than immediately relaxed. “ Mickey...How dare you.” he mumbled with a grin.  
“I´m sorry...You were looking so sad, I didn´t mean to bother you” the mouse said and sat next to him. Riku shook his head and put out his hand over his bent right leg. “You haven´t..” His eyes briefly flaoted over Mickeys, till he lifted his head to the sunset towards them. The sun was shining in a soft reddish and it´s light was reflected on the clouds around them. The last warm beams touched his skin. For a moment the keyblade wielder closed his eyes, remembering the Destiny Islands. He nearly could hear the sound of the waves.  
“I know we will find him Riku….” Mickey cheered quietly. They know themselves for a long time, so Mickey easily knew whats happened in Rikus mind. Well, he was tought but the mouse only had to look in his eyes to see something more that must bother him.  
“Yeah. I want to believe that too” The young boy finally answered after a while, slowly opening his eyelids.  
“Than whats the reason for your sorrow?”  
“It´s just...” Riku stopped, thinking about his next words until he eventually goes on. “I don´t know if i´m the right person.”  
“Hu?”  
“Sora is my friend. But his heart is connected to so many who loved him. He easily makes friends and I bet tonight anyone will search in his dreams, even if the three dreamers are on their run.”  
“So you´re afraid that you won´t find him?” Mickey guessed.  
“Sort of. We´ve been searching him the whole year, clueless where is his. We don´t even know if he´s okay. What if...What if i´m not strong enough? “ Or if its to late. Riku clenched his fists.  
“It´s okay to be afraid.“Mickey glanced up to his friend. “Sora always looked up to you. I´m sure he´s okay and only waiting for you! Your hearts had such a deep connection non of the other would ever reach. If there is one single person who will ever find him, it´s you Riku!“  
The silver haired laughed, although he felt a little embarrassed “You think so mh?”  
Mickey nodded with a grin. “You don´t have to be strong or brave in first place, you ARE from the very beginning of your journey, and if you follow for heart it will guide you everywhere”  
“May your heart be your guiding key...” he slowly whispered, before a sighed. “I think i´m a little stressed about this new chance. I´m sorry if I worried you.” He smirked a little.  
“Me too, But we´ll do our best.”  
“we?”  
“Sure! I will accompany you, if you let me”  
“Fighting bad dreams side by side with me? Sounds like old times” He chuckled and suddenly gripped Mickey to give him a short cuddle. The mouse laughed and returned the small empressement. “We´re a good team. We´ll find him. Together!”  
Riku finally nodded, now looking a little bit relieved. He eventually pushed his hands against the ground and stood up.  
“Than shall we go? It´s almost night. I quess Yen Sid and the others are already waiting for us”  
“Sure!” 

As Riku and Mickey reached the Office the other really were already there. Behind the Desk there now were six pallets in a row. Lea and Kairi were sitting on two of them, Ventus and Chirithy reached for the other two.  
“I should have go with Kairi!” Xion crossed her arms over her chest and screws her face up.  
“But you aren´t strong enough Xion. You still have to learn how to use your power since you have your own body. Same goes for Naminé.” Aqua smiled to the girls. “I´m very sure Lea is a good choice to team up!”  
“Kairi and I trained together for being keyblade wielders as well. We know how to fight together. Got it memorized?” He tipped his forehead with his index finger and than lay down on the pallet. Aqua chuckled and turned to Xion.  
“We´re here to protect the other! And we´re waiting for Sora, okay?”  
“Mhm..” Xion wasn´t exalted, but nodded.  
“Okay. I´ll wait for you!” The girl with the dark hair looked to the group of dreamers. Naminé grabbed her hand and squeezed it a little. “Me too!” she said encouraging. 

“Well,well.” Yen sid raised from his wooden chair. “Now we have Kairi and Lea. Ventus and Chirithy, and Riku and Mickey” He seemed to be satisfied about the choice and walked over to the group, sided by Merlin and the Fairy Godmother.  
“We put Ventus, Kairi and Riku in a deep sleep. Your partners will follow once you awake in your dream.” he explained.  
“Although it is just a dream, you have to be careful! You can feel pain, and even die. The spell we will cast on you is a very special for you to get the ability to chase throw your dreams, my dears.” Fairy Godmother looked motherly to the others. “If Sora is hiding there, search for him and keep the broken pieces of him with you. If you´re able to collect all, we have a great chance to get him back!”  
Riku nodded and lay down. The plan was rather simple, but a fleeting thought in his head tells him it would´t.  
“We´re counting on you!” Naminé cheered with a smile, than crossed her arms behind her back.  
“Stay safe!” Aqua added.  
“And don´t dare to snore!” Terra chuckled. Lea gave him a low laugh and than they closed their eyes.  
Riku took a deep breath and tried thinking of Sora. The Destiny Islands came to his mind, the plan to escape from there, when their were little. Than the pictures slowly faded as he felt a warm Sensation on his whole Body. He saw the heartless rolling over his homeland and the Darkness that swallowed everything. He suddenly gasp as he felt the pressuring shadows around him. At the corner of his mind he could hear a voice calling his name, than his world eventually vanished into Darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> done with chapter one ! I hope you like the start alltought it wasn´t quite exciting...The next chapter will have some action ! :)


	3. chapter two

He felt a slightly jolt in his body, unable to open his eyes in the first place. His world was all black like it was absorbed into deep darkness. Arms and legs were heavy but he felt a hard and cold ground beneath him.   
“Sora?” he asked quietly against the silence but an answer came to nothing.  
“Where are you hiding?” he murmured again, still without any reaction. There were no Sora, no light but a heavy, odd feeling in his chest that goes stronger and stronger and stronger until it will overwhelm him...

„ ...ku!“ 

“Riku…!” A voice from the distance suddenly came to his mind. Light and cheerful. But it wasn´t Sora, he quickly realized. He knew that sound. It was familiar...warm and bright and he tried to focus.

“Riku, please wake up!” The pressure on his chest increased and the darkness around him slowly flowed away as he managed to finally open his eyes. The dark abyss fades away, replaced by lights and gaudy lanterns.

The owner of the voice stood above him. First fuzzy, large ears and big eyes now full of sorrow looked down on him. “ Mickey…?” Riku groaned and slowly braced himself on his right arm. He felt heavy and still dizzy, but the knot in his guts was now gone.   
“Thank Goodness!” The mouse said at the corner of his consciousness. “I was afraid you won´t wake up!” he said, smiling, but there still was a deep concern in his voice.   
“What happened?” Riku stroked across his forehand with his thumb and forefinger.  
“Well, I don´t know...I arrived just a moment later and you were already laying on the ground. I kept shaking and calling you but you don´t opened your eyes. I was afraid something might happened as we passed the path through your dreams.”   
“I..” Riku remembered the moment as they were set to sleep, the feeling in his chest and the deep darkness around him, but he decided not to worry mickey and so he eventually shook his head.   
“It´s nothing Mickey, don´t worry. I just felt a little bit giddy. I think traveling through my thoughts might be a little to intense.”   
“It was, but we made it!” Mickey smiled becalmed and stepped a few steps back to take a closer look at his destination. He knew this place but before he could tell, Riku raised his voice: “It´s Traverse Town.” He said with an oddly tone in his voice. He too let his gaze slowly slide over the buildings and streets. They sat in a middle of a little market place. Straight ahead were the stairs which lead to the inner core of the town, on his right was a closed giant wooden door and on his left a cupcake cafe with small chairs and tables on their terrace. People walked around, but non of them had a face, when they tried do directly look at them...creepy.   
“Why here?” Riku finally braced himself against the ground and stood up. His head still felt dazed but he was able to stand without Mickey noticing his weakness. “My dreams usually started in another town, much bigger than Traverse.”   
“This place must have a connection to you and Sora.” The mouse looked up to him.   
“It has.“Riku replied. Oh he remembered so well.   
“As the Destiny Island were engulfed in the realms of darkness we beached at this place. Sora met Goofy and Donald and found out that he was the chosen keyblade wielder. At this point I was totally convinced to take all the burden on my own. Saving Kairi, bringing us all home, saving the world. But Sora again surpassed me”   
A briefly smirk twitched at his mouth corner. They always had those rivalry in every situation. Collecting fruits, running through their hometown on their way to school, driving the livestock to the field. The last one fortunately just in one case, because the sheep's were so traumatized after they shooed them around for nearly an hour. The mayoral even forbade them to come to close to the sheeps and other cattle. But this was from a time when there were little. Both of them were now more grown up and so their challenges. Their friends looked up to them, mostly to Riku who would never reveal his last challenge with Sora when they ate a mega cup of icecream in just a minute. But besides all these memories, this town was the start of everything. The arguments with Sora, and his own way into the darkness, nearly losing his heart to the dark realms.   
“This is were I met maleficent” Riku eventually said as he realized the gaze on him.   
“I felt like leaving behind and it was the perfect moment for her to show up.”   
“Mhn...So than this place had to be the first one to find a loosen piece. “  
“Possibly. Let´s take a look around. Yen sid said we´ve to follow our hearts.“ Mickey nodded and than both of them got going. They followed the way straight ahead, past the cupcake cafe and went over the stairs to the next area. Traverse Town was full of flowers and ancient benches, besides colorful lights and bright advertisement, like two worlds were mixed together.   
“Leon and the others used to live here when Radiant Garden was under the hand of the bad guys.”   
“Yeah I remember. They head back after Hollow Bastion was freed”   
“ Lucky for us!”   
Riku nodded and than put his focus on their surrounding.   
At the corner of his eyes he saw the buildings and lanterns vanishing ones they passed an area, while the way ahead of him was still clear. It felt a little bit odd seeing the blurry house facades.   
“Did you often think back to these time?”  
Riku tilted his head as he heard the question. It took him a moment to think about, but than he eventually shook his head. “No. Not anymore.“He slowly sad.“ I remembered it quite often when I was lost in the dark realm and during the time when I was unable to show my real face. I felt guilty about what happened but now I made up my mind. Things happen. You can´t stop them, but grow.” He smiled and Mickey respond it cheerful. “You really are e true keyblade wielder Riku.” he laughed, causing Riku a light blush on his cheekbones. “I have faults….Not many, but I have” He charmingly respond but than suddenly paused for a moment, gripping his chest right above his heart, as a piercing pain rushed through his body. “ngh!”   
Mickey jerked and reached over to Riku.   
“Riku! What happened!” he asked alarmed. His gloved Hand grabbed at Rikus jacket.  
Riku felt his heartbeat raising, throbbing heavy in his body. He realized Mickey, but instead of answering him his gaze was pinned on the distance where he suddenly saw somebody familiar. The back was turned on them but there were no doubts. The spiky brown hear, the dark and reddish clothes. His eyes widened.  
“SORA!” Riku shouted as loud as he could before he immediately runs off. He jumped over a flowerbed and rushed down the stairs. Mickey right behind him.   
“Sora wait!...WAIT!”   
The silhouette of the brunette guy disappeared behind the next corner beyond a broad square.   
“Wait!” Riku kept shouting as he fastened his footsteps. Than a sudden rumble on the ground abruptly stopped them. Mickey jumped at his sight, ready to defeat what ever shows up.   
“What happened?!” The silver haired fights with his balance as the ground beneath them darkened. Both of them quickly summoned their weapons even thought they won´t believe what crawled out of the darkness.   
“Heartless?!”   
“Why here?!” Mickey stepped back and raised his blade. The creatures made their way out of the ground. The antennas twitched and their golden eyes rushed over the square until they sensed the two keyblade wielder. To many to count Riku snarled. “Dunno...But we have to take care of them” he grumbled and raised Braveheart too, then rushed through the heartless. Shadows were weak, but tough in a group. Rikus Blade cuts shadowed bodys without really looking at them. After a strike, he headed over to the next one while Mickey kept using magic spells on their enemies. One by one felt under their attacks until the last one disappeared in the darkness, leaving the exhausted friends alone again. Rikus Breaths were heavy. He looked around. “Should be all of them, are you okay Mickey?” he panted, same went for his friends who stood a few steps behind him.   
“I´m okay, but why are the heartless here”   
“You don´t think this might just a part of the dream?”   
Mickey looked at him for a Moment, than shook his head. “Your arm..” he just said and Riku immediately raised his arms. What he saw made his blood runs cold. Not badly injured, but there was a deep scratch on his underarm. A Shadow must be hit him. Dark blood run above the leather and dropped on the ground.   
“Heal!” Mickey trained his blade towards him and Riku suddenly felt a warm sensation on his arm. The magic tickled as it closed the wound. But he couln´d believe.   
“But Yen Sid told us the journey through dreams might be dangerous, that we can even die.” he slowly resume.   
“Dangerous if you loose yourself into dreams when you dive to deep, but this was strange! The whole world is fuzzy and blurry but the heartless felt real.” Riku understood what Mickey was about to tell.   
“You mean it could really be the organization?”   
“It´s possible, although i´m not sure why they might search for Sora too.”  
Riku clenched his fist. “The much bigger question is why they can go through dreams as well.”   
HIS dreams and maybe the other too. That really was bad.   
“We have to tell Yen Sid. Maybe the coated guy in my dream than wasn´t just an illusion. If they´re able to find us among our realms of sleep, everybody is in danger.”   
“We will” Mickey agreed. “But first we need to find the loosen piece of Sora. If they´re searching for him, we have to hurry!” 

They run through the town, heavily breathing but none of them wouldn´t stop. First Riku thought the heartless on the square were the only ones, but after a few streets and alleys they appeared again. Only Shadows but enough to be alarmed. They battled every one of them at each corner... on the stairs. It was exhausting but they kept going. “There to many!” Riku eventually gasped as they found a moment to rest. Mickey nearly runs out of potion and magic and to be hones he was really tired. They had to get out of here. Riku again clenched his fists in frustration. “Damn Sora!?” he shouted angry and pressed his hands against the wall. How shall I find you…? He quietly asked himself. But than he suddenly raised his head. “I know where to go” he remembered.   
“where? We searched almost everywhere”   
“Not everywhere. Why I didn´t suspect that earlier.”   
“What do you mean?”   
“The Place were Sora fought is first fight, were I met him...I´m sure we find him there” This was so obviously Riku could smack his own face for his late realization.   
“Than we shall go!” Mickey smiled, but Riku still looked worried.   
“Are you really okay?” he asked caring.   
“I am! Those heartless can´t get me down so easily” The mouse stretched himself and than glanced up to Riku in his natural motivation. “Time to end this here”   
Riku nodded. 

They managed it through the town, with battles and more heartless but they finally arrived the giant square. Both of them paused at the top of the giant stair, which lead down to the ground, and looked at the empty place.   
“He must have been here..” Mickey murmured while Riku slowly let his gaze flow over the buildings, streets and lights. His heartbeat was fast. From the battles and from his own excitement…  
Where are you….You must be here...You have to !   
„Riku! There!“   
Mickey pointed his finger on the ground, where suddenly two shapes appeared. The first was a giant heartless. His arms and legs rotates as it fought against the way smaller person. Sora!   
Riku bent over the railing. “Sora! We have to help him” he turned around to mickey who has already summoned his keyblade. 

Worth were needless. The friends run down the stairs, straight ahead the fighting Sora, but as they arrived, Sora again vanished.   
“No!”   
Riku stopped his movement, now standing directly in front of the heartless. He could see Sora shapes, fusing with the heartless. The silver haired immediately called for Braveheart which directly appeared in his right Hand. Than he shoved back his right leg, slowly raising his Blade. “The arms at first, than his legs and at the end, the head”   
“I´m right beside you Riku!”   
“Go!”   
Riku rushed toward against the left arm. His raised Blade wields with all his strange against the spinning hand of that heartless. He used the first attack to smash on it few times and quickly jumped back as they began to rotate. Riku panted but regardless runs again towards the giant heartless. Using the leg to jump on he got more power in his next attack. The heartless tripped.  
Behind him he heard Mickeys Keyblade as it smashed against the other hand, too. Again Riku raised his blade, but before he could hit, the rotating arm crushed in his chest and tossed him over the place. 

Riku gasped as his body heavily hit the ground, feeling the ache from that tackle right in his ribs. “ Nhm..” It caused a moment for him to come to his senses. Mickey was still fighting. One arm was gone. The silver haired tightened his grip and pulled himself together. Oh now he was angry!   
That heartless kept Sora in his body and he would set him free!   
“Raaaar!” Riku began to run, his blade again raised towards their enemy. But before he arrived he opened a gate to darkness and disappeared in the shadows, only to suddenly show up behind the heartless for smashing on the remaining arm and than for the legs. While Mickey used his last äther and spells Riku kept vanishing into the dark realms attacking the Heartless from all sides. 

As the last hit of Braveheart brought the head of the heartless down it suddenly falls into thousand of pieces, slowly vanishing. Riku panted, as well as Mickey. Both weapons disappeared from their shaking hands.   
“ It´s over..” Riku manged to say. At the corner of his eye he saw Mickey nodding. His heart dashed in his chest, so fast and heavy that it hurts and before he could realize his world again turned into darkness…

Beneath him was a light. Bright and warm. Riku slowly opened his eyes and looked down on a stage. Which first was only loud and shimmering revealed itself as a light blue place. His heart.   
Riku landed lightly on the stage. On the ground he saw himself and the hearts which are connected to him. There were his Replica, Mickey, Sora but now a face which he had never seen. He frowned.   
“Whats the meaning of this...” he heard his voice whisper, but eventually looked up as he suddenly felt a warm sensation.   
“Riku...”   
“Sora?” That was his voice. Riku was sure about it. He turned around and than finally saw the shimmering body of his friend, hovering above the ground, and possibly in deep slumber, but he called his name, didn´t he?   
“Sora..?” The silver haired slowy draw closer to him, his hand stretched out.   
He was only a few fingertips away as the body of his friend crystallized into pieces. Their shimmering lights again vanished except one right in front of Riku.   
“The first piece..” Riku carefully grabbed the crystal and held it in his hand. It felt pleasant and sent warm chills down on his spine.   
“Found you..” The keyblade wielder smiled relieved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I´m vegan and I love sheeps...just saying...


	4. Chapter three

They were back at Yen Sids Tower...Riku saw the familiar high ceiling above him, which leads to the sharp tower, as he opened his eyes. The walls were painted in this beige-yellow and on the sides of the corner oh his eyes he saw the huge bookshelves. His breath runs slowly through his lungs unlike the time before, when he „ woke up“ in his dreams. The heavy darkness he felt was now gone.  
“Did something happened in the Realm of Dreams my Dear?”  
Riku lifted his head towards the suddenly speaking voice. The calm and worried sound belongs to Fairy Godmother, who stood in front of their pallet. Riku righted himself up and looked over his shoulder to his still sleeping friends. Except Mickey, who just opened his eyes too, they all were in a deep and quiet slumber.  
“I´m not sure...” He finally managed to answer, while he frowned.  
“What do you mean Dear?” The worry on Fairy Godmothers face grew deeper. Behind her, Merlin and Yen Sid reached to the pallets as well.  
“There were heartless, many of them” Riku began to speak.  
“But this is nothing you have to worry, they can´t harm you” Merlin reassured, but Riku shook his head.  
“They attacked us”  
“What?”  
“Yeah, We manged to find Sora in his Dreamworld, but as we tried to chase after him, the heartless attacked us! Riku even got hurt by one “  
“Really?” Yen Sid frowned and mumbled under his breath. “That means the organization IS after Sora.”  
“But why? Xehanort was defeated by us. We all saw it with our own eyes!” Riku looked over to Mickey who nodded approvingly.  
“We have to figure out. Xehanorts plans to create the x- blade and calling for Kingdom Hearts failed two times. First when he extract the darkness from Ventus to create Vanitas and than the last time when we all fight against him.”  
“ And don´t forget the times when he tried to create his own Kingdom hearts” Mickey added.  
“ Mhhmn...” Yen Sid closed his eyes, thinking about the meaning of all and they new possibilities. Eventually he looked to the magicians and the both keyblade wielder again.  
“Although we saw him vanishing, that doesn´t mean he is really gone.“  
“W-What!?” Mickeys eyes widened.  
“That´s not saying much. We don´t even know if Xehanort is behind all this, but when the heartless could attacked you, we should be prepared.”  
Riku tilted his head, but nodded. “Got it..” He said concerned. If Xehanort really was back, than they all were in big trouble. He remembered very clearly when that old bastard tried to use Sora as his vessel. What if he was trying again ?  
And how could they fight without Sora? He said he had all of his strength from his friends, but same goes for the other and Riku as well too. Sora gave them to power to move on, because giving up was never an option to Sora. Except, well except on their last fight against the dark cloud made of pure darkness…  
Riku still remembered the fear in Soras eyes, unable to blink back his tears. It was the first time he showed his real face towards the darkness. Not a cocky grin and words of cheer. Just Sora who was afraid to fail and loosing his friends forever….  
“All you can do for the moment is to move on. Did you found a broken piece?” Yen Sid drew Riku out of his thoughts.  
The young Keyblade wielder raised his eyes to Yen Sid. A smile appears on his lips. “Yeah! We´re on the right track!”  
“God! As long as we focus on our goal and keep an eye open nothing will happen. But to be on the safe side I´ll send Aqua and the others out for some research”  
“Well I think that´s a good idea. When Aqua is searching for some clues in relation with Xehanort, we can focus on finding Sora and why the Organization is after him too!” Mickey cheered.  
Yen Sid agreed with a slightly nod. Riku couldn´t find anything wrong on their plan. That was the best they could do now.  
“Than we better hustle” Riku eyed on Mickey, who nodded immediately.  
“Right!”  
“Good. We put you in Sleep again, keep searching for Sora but tell us if something odd happened. We should not act careless once the heartless are after him too”  
“You don´t have to worry, we take care. But I Hope the other will be okay too”  
With a last concern look to his friends he again laid down an the pallet, waiting for the sleep to come over him. 

….

The sun was burning and a slow wind flew over the dry land. The high mountains the distance were just vague object beneath the shimmering heat.  
On the middle of the great crosswalk, surrounded by old keys from ancient wielders a guy in a black coat stood beside a black box, waiting…  
The box was his single purpose for over decades. He kept an eye on this box without even knowing whats inside, but maybe the secret would revealed today? He hoped, because protecting it cost much trouble than expected.  
Luxu raised his head as he noticed a suddenly appearance. When he looked around he saw two also black coated drawing slowly nearer to his position. One from the east and one from the west.  
“Ah...Luxu! What a great day to meet you here!” The first one cheered with a charming voice, while the second kept silent. Luxu greeted him with a brief nod.  
“Master. “He said. “I´ve protected the box as you wished for..”  
“Great. I knew you were the one and only I can put such a burden on his shoulders..”  
Luxus Blood always runs cold once he heard the dark timbre under this jolly sounding voice, but kept calm.  
“Now where we are prepared, what happened next? Whats inside that thing that makes it so special?” Luxu wanted to know but the Master only raised his pointing finger.  
“Ah – ah – ah “he laughed like he was talking to a little kid. “All in it´s proper time.” He reached over to the box, stroking with his gloved hand over the black fabric. “ The time of the great war is near...Xehanort did a great job and it was fun watching him. He prepared everything well.” The master chuckled.  
“But the days in the realm of lights are soon over...And darkness will spread all over the world. “  
“So the last fight xehanort lost wasn´t the one predicted in the book.”  
“Of course not, how dare you.” The master rose up to his feeds. “ What Xehanort did was only putting things in the right position. He set the ball rolling and now there´s nothing that can preserve the worlds from it´s fade.”  
Luxu nodded slowly. His gaze flew over the other coated guy who said nothing the whole time. Black dust was crawling over his body like he was eaten up by pure darkness.  
“And him?” Luxu asked.  
“- Him- Is still listening. Don´t forget that asshole.” The other coated guy crossed his arms. Although Luxu couln´d see his face, he was sure, the guy directly looked at him.  
“He will make sure that the kiddos are on the run. They can´t change fade, but theirs actions leads to the future. It´s our burden luxu to put all of this  
together. “  
“But how, master?”  
“You will see Luxu. The tale is already been written, now it just must be told. The gang seems to have a plan how they can find that little Sora boy”  
“How can that boy be so special? He only cause trouble.”  
“Mhhn….” The master crossed his arms before his chest. For a Moment he paused than he eventually raised his charming, teaching voice.  
“Did you ever play chess Luxu…?”  
The Master doesn´t waited for an answer and kept on talking. “ In Chess your goal is to protect the King until the very end...The boy isn´t the king but every chess-game has one special meeple – the bishop. Bringing him in the right position, you can win every game before your opponent notice. “  
“But when that kiddo is the bishop, who´s the king?”  
“ And what means winning?”  
Instead of answering him, the Master only laughed. Loud and lustily.  
“What´s so funny creepy guy?”  
The Master chuckled a moment longer, than raised both hands against the clear blue sky. “ Oh You're not going to believe this.“


End file.
